


I Put My Dreams Into You, They'll Grow

by runaway_train



Series: Advertising AU [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Funny, M/M, Smut, Top Harry, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 08:58:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16323200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runaway_train/pseuds/runaway_train
Summary: “You’re going to have to downsize this entire thing Harry.”Louis is standing in front of Harry’s open wardrobe, hands on his hips, and the whole thing is filling him with absolute dread.“But why?” Harry responds from where he is sat on his bed behind him. Louis doesn’t even have to look at him to know he is pouting.Louis presses his fingers to his temples. “Because there isn’t enough space in my flat. You’ve been there, you sleep there at least four nights a week, you know this.”OrThe one where Harry moves in. Sort of.





	I Put My Dreams Into You, They'll Grow

**Author's Note:**

> This is another part for the Advertising AU because I can't seem to let them go. I don't even know if anyone's remotely interested in more of this but here it is anyways. Check out the main fic [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899463) if you haven't already.
> 
> I also have a Tumblr which is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com) if you want to say hello or check out stuff I'm working on. The specific post for this fic is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com/post/181327912900/advertising-au-masterpost-ive-been-hoping-youd). 
> 
> Title is from ['Beauty Remains' by Paloma Faith](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPeMvc7PB8o)
> 
> *NOTE* - I have slightly edited this third part of the Ad Au for continuity reasons (basically the intros to each little mini chapter) since I originally posted. There has been no changes to the story in any way.

The first time Louis properly discusses Harry moving in with him is two weeks after he asks him to.

 

They had been pretty busy with work and social engagements and having 'I can tell you I love you during sex now' sex and a suitable time hadn't presented itself to talk about the practicalities of the move, until one night when Louis thinks enough is enough and they need to get the ball rolling, so goes round to Harry's with one clear objective; sorting Harry's clothes.

“You’re going to have to downsize this entire thing Harry.”

Louis is standing in front of Harry’s open wardrobe, hands on his hips, and the whole thing is filling him with absolute dread.

“But why?” Harry responds from where he is sat on his bed behind him. Louis doesn’t even have to look at him to know he is pouting.

Louis presses his fingers to his temples. “Because there isn’t enough space in my flat. You’ve been there, you sleep there at least four nights a week, you know this.”

“Well I don’t really know what you suggest I do Lou.” Now he just sounds like a petulant child.

“I suggest you chuck what you aren’t going to wear again.”

“I’ll wear it all again though.”

“Really? Like….” Louis reaches up to riffle through the rails of coloured, and often bejewelled, fabric. “This? When were you planning to dress up as a matador again?” He grabs the hanger and pulls out the outfit, turning to Harry as he holds up the black suit with red and green flower detailing and sparkling fringing.

Harry’s pout worsens. “That’s not fancy dress Lou.”

“You’re lying,” he laughs. Harry must be making a joke. He knows that Harry makes unusual fashion choices sometimes but come on. There will be a matching hat and red cape around here somewhere.

Harry shakes his head. “I’m not, that’s custom made Gucci.”

Louis turns the hanger around and brings it closer so he can see the label properly. And yes, there it is, the beloved Gucci label that Harry so often creams himself over. Fucking hell. “Well, Chipotle custom made me a spicy pork burrito last week and it caused less havoc on my arse than this monstrosity does to my eyes. It’s not even practical. Surely you get this shit caught in stuff?” He holds one of the sleeves up and swings it back and forth, causing the long, bedazzled red trimming to sway, as if to prove his point.

“Lou, taking the piss out of my possessions is not the way to get out of this alive.” Harry stands up from the bed and wraps his arms around Louis’ waist from behind, bending down to kiss his neck. “And you know,” he murmurs into Louis’ ear, “if you want something to cause havoc on your arse properly, all you need to do is ask.” He bites softly on Louis’s earlobe.

Louis swats his face away. “Harold, trying to have sex with me right now is also not the way to get out of this alive. Come oooon,” he whines, shoving the suit back into the wardrobe. “I’m going to have to get rid of some of my stuff too but I can’t do this all by myself.” He rotates himself in Harry’s arms and runs his palms up Harry’s t-shirt covered chest. “Could you not at least store some of it? In your mum’s garage or something?”

“I’m not storing Gucci in my mum’s garage. The integrity of the garments might be compromised if housed somewhere that’s not adequately insulated,” he informs Louis like some sort of haute couture savant.

Louis groans and pushes Harry away so he falls back onto the bed with a bounce. “For fuck sake. What are we going to do then?” He turns back to the wardrobe and crouches down to look at the shoes and shoe boxes stacked below the rails. Seriously, how many pairs of boots does one man need to own?

Harry coughs behind him. “We could always get a bigger place.”

“We can’t get a bigger place. We have no money. It’s all tied up in our business, one you keep forgetting we own when you purchase ludicrous clothing.” He pulls out a pair of gross purple trainers from the very back and holds them up to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

Harry rolls his eyes and snatches them from his grip, chucking the across the room at his bedroom door. “I haven’t bought anything designer in months. And I have money. We could sell your flat and buy a house together.”

Louis stands back up, eyeing Harry suspiciously. “How do you have money?” As far as he knew, all Harry’s money went into the agency.

“I’ve spoken to some family. My grandad has offered to give me a decent lump sum, essentially what I would be getting in his will but up front, and my dad has offered to loan me the rest.”

Louis heart starts beating frantically. “Are you being serious right now?”

“Of course I am.” Harry grins up at him.

Louis climbs up onto the bed and into Harry lap, straddling his thighs and intertwining his fingers at Harry’s nape while Harry’s hands drift to settle supporting his lower back. “You want to buy a house with me?” Louis asks sheepishly.

Harry kisses his mouth. “Darling, I want to spend my life with you, so buying a house with you comes into that, yes.”

“Is that not a bit overkill just so you can keep your matador costume?” Louis says, nervously attempting to deflect from the red flush he can feel rising in his face as his hand comes down to trace the tip of one of Harry’s swallow tattoos that’s poking out of his collar.

Harry playful smacks Louis’ bum. “If you refer to it as a matador or a costume one more time I’m going to wear it on our fucking wedding day I swear.”

Louis cackles. “Like I’ll be letting you decide what you’re wearing on our wedding day. I’m not letting you upstage me.”

Harry pecks his lips again and rubs his palms up and down Louis’s spine quickly to get his attention back to the matter at hand. “So come on, what do you think? Me and you, buying a place together?”

“I want to, I do. And I love you. But it’s fast isn’t it? You realise we haven’t even known each other a full year yet right? And we already own the company together. It’s a lot.”

Harry nods. “I get that sweetheart. Just remember it’ll most likely take a while for us to find somewhere we both like and can afford, and we can draw up legal paperwork to protect both of us if for some reason you decide to leave me.” Like Louis would ever leave Harry, he’s the best, he literally thinks of everything. Well, almost everything…

“And what if you leave me?” Louis asks hesitantly.

Harry leans forward and rubs their noses together. “Well that’s never going to happen, but it’ll cover you just the same my love.” Harry brings his arms fully around Louis’ waist.

“OK, can I think about it?”

“Of course Lou. You can take all the time you want.”

Louis kisses Harry’s gorgeous sherbet coloured lips with a hum. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Harry fingers start to fiddle with the waist band of Louis’ joggers. “So if you’re going to be thinking about it for a bit, does that mean we can leave the whole culling of my wardrobe for now and have sex instead?”

Louis grins and pushes Harry back so he’s lying flat on the bed and crawls up his body. “Yes, baby, we can have sex instead.”

*** 

Louis tells Harry the very next day that he wants to buy a house with him.

He has to really. Harry wore his Gucci matador suit to work just to prove Louis wrong about never wearing it again but then got the fringing caught in the office photocopier and was almost in tears when the sleeve ripped so Louis had to resort to drastic measures to try and cheer him up. It worked though, and Harry was smiling again in no time, spending the rest of the afternoon when he should have been working in his office googling houses for sale and phoning every major estate agent in London to put their names down as prospective buyers.

Louis will never admit it but he might have googled a few places that afternoon too.

__________

 

The first time Louis properly lives with Harry is a whole eleven months later.

 

They had finally managed to find and move into a perfect three bed end terrace house with a small garden at the top of north London. The only reason they could afford it was because it needed some serious TLC and a whole new kitchen, but they were happy to do the work gradually and really build their first home together. Technically Harry had ended up moving in with Louis nine months previously, to save on rent while they searched, bought the place and waited for the keys, so they knew what to expect living in the same space, but today felt different. They were going to be living together in a place that was equally shared and paid for and felt a lot more official, and not just somewhere Harry was lodging in the meantime. 

“Thank you so much for all you help, safe journey home!” Harry yells as he watches the removal men walk down the front path of his and Louis’ new house and jump into their van, Louis tucked under his arm as they stand in the doorway.It’s now 7pm and the movers have just finished delivering all the furniture and boxes from Louis’ flat and Harry’s storage unit. Harry closes and locks the front door and turns to his boyfriend. “So roomie, you happy?”

Louis hugs him tightly. “The happiest,” he says into Harry’s shoulder. “Love you, and love our house.”

Harry kisses the top of his head. “Love you too darling.” He then pinches Louis’ arse and wiggles his eyebrows when Louis looks up at him. “Why don’t I crack open our bottle of champagne and we can start christening some of these rooms?”

Louis pulls away and feigns a yawn, rubbing his eye to try and look sleepy. “Aw Haz, I’m so tired from all the lugging boxes and that, was hoping we could get a takeaway and have an early night?”

The disappointment spreads all over his partner’s face. “Oh right, sure, no problem.”

“Jokes! Come on handsome, if you can catch me, you get to fuck me!” He slaps Harry’s groin with the back of his hand anddarts off down the hallway, filling the house with shrieking laughter.

“You menace!” Harry shouts after him, following the sound of Louis with thundering footsteps. When Harry gets to the kitchen, he easily corners and grabs him, tickling his sides vigorously, which just makes Louis shriek even more, before winding his arms around him. “You know I’ll always catch you Lou, can never get too far away from me.”

Louis arms come up around Harry’s neck. “You sound like a creepy stalker.”

Harry pinches Louis’ chin between his thumb and his forefinger. “Don’t act like you hate it princess. You always want me chasing you, don’t you?” Yes. Yes he fucking does.

“Just stop talking and kiss me already.”

Harry’s tongue cavorts with Louis’ as he moves him backwards. One hand is on Louis’ neck now, thumb framing Louis’ ear and fingertips brushing the nape of his neck, keeping Louis’ face exactly where he wants it. The other hand is grasping firmly on to Louis’ hip, steering him clumsily into the direction of choice, Louis only able to just about hold on to Harry’s sides and fist his jumper to try and keep upright.

Louis’ backside hits their kitchen table, the screech of the wooden feet on the tiled floor as it’s forced flush up against the wall disguising the loud ‘hmph’ noise that Louis expels into Harry’s mouth as he bumps into it. Louis doesn’t care though and awkwardly tries to shimmy on to the top of it while still snogging Harry senseless, although he’s failing miserably to multi-task. He pulls away and places his hands on the edge of the dark wood, using his upper body strength to heave himself up, Harry smiling at him as he watches before placing his warm palms on Louis’ cheeks and establishing himself between Louis’ spread thighs to slot their mouths back together.

Louis wants to feel Harry’s skin, choosing to reach behind Harry and fight to dig his hands up and under the layers of material Harry is unfortunately wearing on this cold winter’s day. It’s worth the struggle when he finally makes contact, the muscles quivering under his exploring touch, Harry’s chest releasing a groan that barely reaches his mouth. Harry chooses that moment to drop his hands to tops of Louis’ thighs and squeeze. Louis can’t tell if it’s meant to be some sort of a signal or not, but he pulls back a little just in case, freeing Harry’s mouth in exchange for kissing along his jawline.

“Can’t believe it. Our house. I’m going to fuck you in our very own house Lou,” Harry mutters. Again, Louis isn’t sure if the message was meant for him, Harry says it so quietly it could just be for himself, but he answers anyway.

“Yes. God. Fuck me. In our house. That we bought together.” He’s reached Harry’s ear now, nibbling on his ear lobe.

Harry’s a bit louder the next time he utters syllables. “You bought a house with me.” He says it like he still doesn’t understand how this whole thing happened. His hands wander under Louis’ clothing, calloused pads rubbing at his bare abdomen and Harry’s mouth leaves lush, open mouthed kisses down his throat.

Louis’ starting to feel light headed. Who knew purchasing property could be such an aphrodisiac? “Please. Want you so much. Please baby.”

Harry mumbles against the juncture between Louis’ neck and collarbone. “Yeah, yeah. Christ. I need to see you come Louis. In our fucking house.” He sinks his teeth in, Louis digging his fingers into Harry’s back with the shock of it.“Shit. We don’t… I don’t have any stuff.”

“I brought some,” comes Louis’ hasty reply.

Harry rears back so he can look at Louis properly. “You did?”

“Mmm,” Louis moans softly, leaving a tender peck on Harry’s mouth. “Knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me, in _our_ house.”

Harry closes his eyes and breaths deeply, and when he opens them again, his irises have darkened. “You need to get naked. Now.” Louis does as instructed, removing the bottle of lube he had the foresight to put in his pocket before they left his flat this morning and stripping himself quickly of his clothing, thanking the heavens that they whacked the heating up full blast when they first got here. He watches as Harry walks over to the fridge and pulls out the bottle of champagne, the only other thing in there being the milk for Louis’ tea. He returns, placing it down beside where Louis is now leaning starkers against the table, and removes his own clothing while Louis watches mesmerised. Louis doubts he will ever get over how fucking fit Harry is. He opens his mouth and tells him as much as Harry grins, grabbing the bottle again and popping the cork with ease, sucking on the bubbles that escape from the aperture.

“You know, you’re not meant to drink alcohol and operate heavy machinery,” Louis tells him with a smirk as he has a cheeky stroke of Harry’s hardening cock, Harry’s only reply is to burst out laughing. “You not going to get glasses?” Louis asks and the giggling has subsided, running his hands up the back of Harry’s thick thighs and squeezing his arse.

“Nope. Don’t need them. I’d rather drink it from the bottle. And from you.” He tilts Louis’ head back and opens his mouth, pouring some of the sparkling liquid into it until it’s overflowing, then proceeds to lick up the drips from Louis’ chin and neck while Louis swallows.

“Gonna get us all sticky baby,” Louis murmurs as Harry takes a large gulp from the bottle himself.

Harry wraps his palm round Louis’ throat and kisses his lips. “When do I ever not get you all sticky angel? Hmm? Open,” he commands. Louis does as he’s told and Harry repeats the process, only this time he licks into Louis’ mouth before he has the chance to ingest the wine, and it pours messily down both of them. “Fucking love getting you dirty, my gorgeous boy.”

He pushes Louis so his back hits the table and his legs come up to curve around Harry’s thighs, as Harry pours more champagne on Louis’ chest and proceeds to lick and suck it off his skin. He pays particular attention to the smaller man’s stiffening nipples, biting on them until Louis yelps. Once he’s drank some more from Louis’ belly button, as well as fed Louis’ mouth again, he stands up straight and flips him over.

“Want my tongue angel?” Harry asks. Like he even needs to ask any more.

Louis moans, his pulsating cock trapped between his tummy and the now sticky table. “Yeah, fuck, please.”

Harry on his knees in no time, showering yet more alcohol on Louis, this time down his arse crack and onto his waiting tongue, before licking stripe after stripe up over Louis’ puckered hole. Harry begins to eats him out messily, moaning and slurping as he lavishes saliva and bubbly elixir on Louis’ rim before fucking his tongue past the first rings of muscle, keeping a strong grip on Louis’ spread cheeks while Louis writhes and pants above him. “Sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted darling,” Harry tells him between a few appeasing licks, when he no doubt knows Louis is close to the verge, barely hanging on my a thread. “Can do this every day now if I want,” he says, running his thumb around Louis’ wet hole to tease him, “since we’ll be waking up together in _our_ house.” It’s been true for months, since they have been living together for ages, but Louis gets what he’s trying to achieve, and it’s definitely working, because when he slides his tongue back inside, Louis comes instantly, shouting Harry’s name wantonly into their kitchen.

Harry’s fingers are lubed up and inside Louis’ heat before he’s even managed to get any resemblance of a breath back, opening him up with an efficiency that he understands means Harry’s in no mood to wait. Harry continues to praise, telling Louis how beautiful he is and how he just fucking loves him so fucking much as he readies his boyfriend to take his cock. When he’s comfortably three fingers deep, he thrusts a few more times for good measure and removes them, standing fully upright and leaning over to give Louis a quick kiss. 

“You good Princess?” Harry whispers in his ear.

Louis’ eyes are closed and his body is tingling. “So good, always so good to me.”

“Mmmm. Gonna fuck you now, fill you up, make you feel even better OK?"

Louis nods his head untidily against the wood, still feeling a tad spaced out. “Want you to feel good too handsome.” His hand reaches out behind him and strokes at Harry’s rock hard thickness nestled against his arse, Harry’s hip jerking with the sudden contact.

“Being with you always makes me feel incredible darling. Greatest feeling in the world, being inside you.” He kisses from the top of Louis’ back all he way down his spine before slicking himself up and lining up his tip with Louis’ hole, both of them exhaling as he drives himself deep into Louis’ hot, tight walls. He give Louis a few seconds to accommodate him before attempting a couple of short thrusts.

“Sorry can you? Um…”

Harry hips shudder to a halt. “Can I what princess?”

“Can you go slow? I want it... Um... I want it not rushed... If that’s ok?”

Harry hums what could be an agreement and pauses, reaching down and seizing Louis’ right thigh, encouraging him to lift up his whole leg and prop it on the table with a bended knee, next lifting Louis’ torso up slightly and placing a comforting, supportive hand on his stomach while Louis locks his elbows and presses his palms into the polished wood to keep himself centred. It’s a tight pull on his thigh muscle but when Harry shuffles up even closer to him and grinds himself into Louis as deep as he can get, the new angle makes Louis’ whole body shiver, a moan escaping from his lungs. Harry withdraws almost all the way and rolls his hips back in again, the motion a sluggish but determined manoeuvre. He does it a couple more times, squeezing at Louis’ hip before he speaks again into his ear. “That it Lou? Wanna be fucked slow and deep yeah?”

“Shit.” Louis swallows thickly, his tongue now a heavy weight in his mouth. “Yeah. It's amazing. Love it like this.”

“Mmmm. Always gonna give you whatever you want,” Harry’s nails scratch softly at the skin on Louis’ front, his voice scabrous, “make you feel so good.” He starts kissing along the back of Louis’ shoulder, his own hard muscles rippling against Louis’ back but Louis turns his head towards him and whines, Harry smirking at him before licking at Louis’ lips and slipping his warm tongue into Louis’ eagerly waiting mouth.

Harry keeps the same pace for several minutes, rocking into Louis in drowsy pulses, his hands roaming Louis’ flesh as he continues liquefying under the molten heat of Harry’s presence in and around him. The ball of white heat is burning in Louis’ belly, and he knows he’s teetering on the brink again, so he slides one of his hands to his cock and starts thumbing it at the crown. It’s a bit slippery with his come from before and feels sensitive, so sensitive that he groans into Harry’s mouth loudly at the sensation. Harry pulls away and looks down. “Angel..” he speeds his hips up a fraction, “let me take care of you.” Louis drops his hand and bows his head, reaching behind him to grapple blindly at any part of his lover he can get a hold of, Harry taking his place by curling his fingers and palm around the head of Louis’ cock and twisting.

“Fuck. Fuck I’m close,” Louis pants.

Harry starts thrusting with even more haste. “Me too. Jesus. You’re so fucking perfect.” His fist matches the pace, tight around Louis’ shaft, the blurts of release that he has spread helping with the drag as he strokes firmly.

“Oh my God. Harry.” Louis screws his eyes shut and comes for a second time, emptying himself all over Harry’s hand and the table. His body goes boneless, his leg falling lazily off the side, forcing Harry to wrap his arms around him tightly to keep him from slumping over, fucking him hard until Harry too is coming heavily a few seconds later, throbbing inside him and emptying himself of his release with a grunt.

The room is almost silent now, the sounds of salacious sobs and skin against skin replaced with nothing but choppy breathing. Harry is hunched over while he continues to hold Louis and his forehead is resting on the back Louis’ neck, his breath tickling the skin at the top of Louis’ spine. Louis’ hands come up and intertwine with Harry’s while they are pressed against him, squeezing affectionately.

“That was exquisite. Absolutely exquisite,” Harry declares.

“It was,” Louis agrees. “I need a shower though, I have champagne literally all over me.”

Harry chuckles, the action vibrating them both due to being still pinned together. “Well we need to christen in there as well, two birds with one stone and all that.” He nuzzles into Louis’ neck.

“You’re insatiable,” Louis tells him.

Harry presses a kiss to his skin. “Can’t help myself, love you and love fucking you too much.”

“Well the feeling is mutual. Love you darling. Happy moving in day.”

Harry pulls out of him and Louis immediately feels the loss, but Harry turns him round quickly. “Happy moving in day,” he mumbles against Louis’ lips before snogging him briefly and leading him by the hand to _their_ bathroom.

 _________________

 

The first time Louis properly feels like he has made a home with Harry is when they have their official house warming in June. 

 

 

It literally takes them that long to get the house in any kind of order that could host a party, plus they wanted to make full use of the garden and have a BBQ, particularly when they had both their families travelling down from Holmes Chapel and Doncaster for the occasion. It was well worth the wait, everyone loved seeing the progress they had made on the house and the weather was glorious, it made for a perfect afternoon. An almost perfect afternoon…

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Louis backs away from the trays of marinating meat on the kitchen worktop.

Harry moves over to where Louis was standing and peers down into the dishes. “You were doing something to my meat, what did you do?”

“Nothing darling.” Louis lies again.

Harry frowns at him. “Louis…”

He holds his hands up. “OK, OK, I may have added a little bit more chilli. That’s all.”

“We agreed Lou, I’m in charge of food, you’re in charge of drinks and entertainment, remember?” He’s using his school teacher tone. Louis fucking hates his school teacher tone.

“Getting people cans of beer from the fridge and choosing a Spotify playlist only takes up so much time Harold, I just wanted to help,” Louis huffs.

Harry puts his hands on his hips. “By wrecking my marinade?”

“By enhancing your marinade. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” He leans up and kisses Harry on the cheek and pulls away to grab another bottle of prosecco from the fridge to take outside and refill the ladies’ emptying glasses. “You know, I think Cheryl’s pregnant.”

Harry looks up from where he’s started drizzling olive oil on the vegetables he plans to roast and serve with the BBQ’d meat. “You do?”

“Yeah, I mean, she’s not drinking any alcohol, which she says is because she’s hungover but I’m pretty sure Liam told me the other day they were only having a quiet date at the cinema last night, and she’s just looking a little fuller around the face and tummy. She’s so petite, it’s more obvious when she’s putting on weight.”

“Who’s putting on weight?” Niall asks as he enters the kitchen, Liam following close behind.

“Uh no-one.” Harry turns around to put his back to them, knowing perfectly well he’ll give the game away if probed.

Liam leans against the worktop while Niall takes a seat at the kitchen table. “Come on?” Liam says, “who were you talking about?”

“Um…” Louis literally cannot think of a lie fast enough, so he just sighs and tells Liam the truth. “OK, sorry mate, I was just saying to Harry that I thought Cheryl might be pregnant. I’m not saying she’s fat or anything but you know…” he trails off.

Liam’s face goes bright red and his eyes widen. “Oh, right um, I see,” he stutters.

Niall’s the first to react. “Holy shit Payno, is she pregnant?”

“Uh.. well… yeah, she is actually.”

“Oh my God!” Louis shouts, slamming the bottle down on the nearest available surface and bounding over to greet Liam in a massive hug, Niall joining in too, the three of the them laughing and shouting in each others ears while trying to jump up and down as an intertwined trio. When they finally pull away, Harry gives Liam a slightly more demure but firm hug and a pat on the back too.

“That’s fucking amazing man! Congratulations!” Louis tells him as they settle back into their previous positions.

“Thank you. Thank you,” he nods. “Wanted to tell you but been waiting until we could travel up to see her folks and tell them in person, and didn’t want to steal the thunder of your party.”

“Oh don’t be silly,” Louis waves him off, “it’s great news. When did you find out?” he asks.

“Only known for a few weeks. Cheryl was on birth control but you know, it’s not 100% effective so it was a bit of a shock to both of us. Had the twelve week scan end of last week but she was actually fourteen weeks by then.”

Niall audibly gulps. “Shit, that’s quite far along to not know mate.”

Liam squirms a little. “Yeah, I guess she’s been lucky not being too ill because of it, and didn’t suspect anything due to thinking we were being safe you know? Been trying to get my head around it all. We aren’t even living together yet and all that, so it’s all a bit mental.”

“You’re happy though right?” Louis asks tentatively, worried he jumped the gun with his excitement and Liam needs someone to speak to about his concerns.

“Oh yeah, of course I’m happy. It’s going to be great, we just need to adjust a bit, get things in order before the baby arrives. You’ll know how difficult it is getting a house and that.”

“Ha! Tell me about it! Me and Haz must have seen about fifty different places before we found this one. But seriously, you’re going to be a great dad Liam, we know you are.”

“Yeah definitely,” Niall tacks on.

They’re interrupted by the oven slamming shut, all three men turning to look at Harry. “Sorry, just uh, putting the veg in,” he explains, before picking up the meat tray and taking it outside.

“Is he alright?” Niall asks.

Louis’ not sure. “I think I might have pissed him off, messed with his precious marinade. He’ll be fine though, give it ten minutes.

*** 

Harry’s not fine though.

As the day wears on and the food and drink and conversation flows, it’s clear that Harry is in a foul mood. Louis can see he’s fighting it, will catch glimmers when he’s laughing with his someone or running around after kids smiling and blowing bubbles and watching them try to catch them, or when someone’s complimenting him on a perfect homemade burger, but Louis knows him too well, and when he thinks no-one is looking, Harry is staring off into space, his brows knitted together,jaw tensing and his mouth set it firm line.

He’s snappy too, particularly with Louis. When Louis tries to ask him if everything is alright while Harry mans the BBQ, he just nods his head and barks out a ‘I’m fine’. When Gemma mentions how good the spicy chicken is, he simply mutters, ‘well you can thank Louis for that’ before downing the rest of his beer and storming off to grab a new one without offering to get one for anyone else. He’s even short with his mum. And Harry loves his mum to death. Louis has never know Harry to even think badly of her, never mind saying anything negative to her face.

It all feels so wrong. Obviously Louis never wants to see Harry upset or in a bad mood, but the fact is, he rarely does see him like that, so when it does happen, it puts Louis on edge, and he struggles to know how to comfort him or make it better, worried he’s going to put a foot wrong. Harry never has that problem with Louis, because he’s well versed now it what Louis is like, and knows how to act accordingly. See, Louis realises that he and Harry are a team, but he also realises they have certain positions, plays of action that are tried and tested and that work for them, so when one of them goes maverick, tries to contend in different position, or go off script, well, it usually leaves the other player blindsided. 

The final guests leave shortly after the sun sets. Harry’s in the kitchen doing the dishes while Louis sorts out the last of the dirty plates and rubbish from the garden. He’s just walking into the room having deposited some empty beer bottles in the recycling bin out front when Harry knocks a glass off the draining board and sends it smashing into the ground.

“Fuck!” Harry roars.

“Don’t move, you’re in bare feet babe.”

“I know that Lou.” He responds, his voice laced with a hint of venom. He bends down and starts to pick up the crystal clear shards closest to him. Louis grabs a dustpan and brush from the cupboard by the door and walks cautiously over to crouch by Harry, sweeping around Harry’s feet first to prevent him from hurting himself. Harry deposits the large pieces of glass he’s already collected into the dustpan and goes to pick up more.

“I’ve got it from here Haz.”

“I’m not completely hopeless you know,” Harry spits.

Louis looks up at him, a bit shocked by his reaction, even given his behaviour over the afternoon. Louis tells him as gently as he can, “I know love, but I’m OK, I’ve got it.”

Harry stands up suddenly, causing Louis to near keel over himself with action. “Fine, fucking do it yourself, since I can’t do anything right. Can’t even put sauce on a bit of fucking meat properly, can I Louis?” He doesn’t give Louis the chance to answer before hurtling out the room and up the stairs, thankfully missing the last remaining shards as he goes.

Louis finishes cleaning up the floor and does the last couple of dishes before emptying the sink and leaving to go up to their bedroom. When he gets there, Harry’s sitting on the far side of the bed, looking out the window, and Louis can see and hear that he’s crying.

“Harry, baby, what’s the matter?” he asks from the doorway.

Harry blows his nose in a tissue. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“If this is about me messing with the marinade…” Louis starts.

“It’s not about the fucking marinade Louis OK? I’m just a bit drunk. Leave me alone.” Louis hates this, feeling so helpless when Harry is clearly upset. Is this what it’s like for Harry when Louis is in this state? Is this combative? Because it’s fucking horrible.

“OK darling. I’m going to go and finish off cleaning up, but I’m right here if you want to talk about whatever is bothering you OK?” Louis turns to walk back down the stairs.

“They didn’t even plan it,” Harry blurts out, his voice still thick from the tears.

Louis turns back around. “What?”

“Liam and Cheryl. They didn’t even plan the baby. It just fucking happened. And they’re happy but you can tell Liam is shitting himself, thinks he’s not ready.”

Louis walks into the room, making his way round the end of the bed and sits down beside Harry. “And that’s annoyed you?”

“Um… well… yeah. A bit.” Harry wipes down his leg at imaginary fluff. Louis waits for Harry to speak again, sensing that he shouldn’t rush him. Harry’s stopped crying now, but he blows his nose again. “It’s just… Like… when we have a baby it’s going to have to be this huge massive thing you know? We’re going to have to plan it for months, if not years, and rely so much on other people for it to happen, and even then it might not happen the way we want it to. And there’s Liam acting like it’s a inconvenience to his life. He doesn’t get how fucking lucky he is.”

The weight of what Harry is saying comes crashing down on Louis. “Handsome…”

“I’m sorry, I know he’s your best friend, and I’m happy for them, but it’s just so shit when all I want to do is give you everything you want and I can’t. It just makes me feel so useless.” He wipes his eyes with his fingers.

Louis puts his arm around him. “You don’t have to be sorry. Look at me.” He brings his hand up to Harry’s face and places it on his cheek, turning his head towards him and stroking the soft skin with his thumb. “You do give me everything I want and so much more, always. And yeah, we’re going to have a tougher time of it, but there are lots of other couples, even straight ones, that struggle to start a family for lots of different reasons. And I think it’s a good thing that when we do finally have a baby, it’s going to be on our terms when we are completely ready to love and provide for it exactly the way we want to. Some people don’t have that luxury. And I _know_ you are going to be the best dad in the entire world when it does happen.”

Harry sniffs. “Second best. You’ll be the best.”

Louis presses his forehead against Harry’s and whispers, “maybe we can be joint best, if you’re up for it?” Harry simply nods, so Louis tilts his head and leaves a kiss on his mouth before pulling away again to take a hold of Harry’s hand in his. “And hey, it’s probably a good thing that you can’t knock me up. I’d never be empty of your babies would I? You’d end up spending your whole life with me on my back while you rub my feet and have to change countless nappies.”

Harry pouts. “That sounds pretty amazing actually.”

Undeterred, Louis continues. “Okaaaay, I’ve got three words for you then. Hormonal. Mood. Swings,” he says while counting them off on his free hand.

“Oh dear God…” Harry giggles.

Louis squeezes his hand. “Ha! See? I’d be a nightmare and you know it.” He leans across to grab another tissue from the beside table and sits back, handing it Harry so he can blow his nose again if he needs to. “Why don’t I go run you a bath with your favourite bubbles and you can have a soak while I finish the tidying up?”

Harry shakes his head. “No, want you in the bath with me.”

“Yeah? OK, well, I didn’t tell you this, but I hid the last bottle of prosecco in the back of the fridge, so why don’t you go grab that while I sort everything up here for us and then we can sit and get pruny while we bitch about how fat Cheryl’s ankles are going to get?”

Harry smiles. “OK. I love you.”

“I love you too Harry, more than you could possibly imagine.”

***

Louis’ sitting in the cooling bath water with Harry settled perfectly in-between his legs half an hour later. Harry’s using the left over bubbles to make fake beards and hairstyles for them both and is generally being completely ridiculous while Louis laughs his head off at him, grabbing Harry’s slippery skin to cuddle him closer and tell him that he loves him for the millionth time even though telling Harry a million times more will never, ever be enough. That’s when it hits Louis that he doesn’t just want to marry Harry, he _needs_ to marry Harry, just like he needs to breath oxygen.

So Louis guesses now all he needs to do is figure out how the hell he is going to pop the question.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much reading. You can check out another of my fics [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15500763). 
> 
> I also have a Tumblr which is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com) if you want to say hello or check out stuff I'm working on. The specific post for this fic is [here](http://runaway-train-works.tumblr.com/post/181327912900/advertising-au-masterpost-ive-been-hoping-youd). 
> 
> Comments and feedback is welcome and always responded to :-D


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